| FAQ's |
|---|
| Where Can I See the District Ordinances? |
| I just bought a lot and want to build. When can I get a "will serve" letter from SLCWD so I can get a building permit? |
| How Do I Hook Up for water and sewer? See also our hooking up webpages. |
| What do I do if I have problems with water or sewer? |
| How Old is our system? |
| What needs to happen when I sell my house in Serene Lakes? |
| What does SLCWD recommend for second homes when cold weather arrives? |
| I'm in Serene Lakes only part-time. Why do you have only "flat rate billing?" |
| Why are rates going up? |
| What capital projects are planned in the near future and how will they be paid for? |
| How do I pay my bill? |
| What can I do to cut costs? |
| District charges, 2009 |
I just bought a lot and want to build - when can I get confirmation of the availability of a water/sewer connection from SLCWD so I can get a building permit?
A: Right now (September2008) a small number of sewer/water connection permits are available on a first come/first served basis. Please call the SLCWD Administrative Office at 530-426-7800 for detailed instructions on how to apply. Please carefully read the Notice and contact our Administrative Office at 530-426-7800 for assistance with any questions you may have. How do I pay my bill? Mail payments to: Sierra Lakes County Water District P.O. Box 1039 Soda Springs, CA 95728 Office: 530-426-7800 Fax: 530-426-1120 Dianna Smith dianna.slcwd@gmail.com
How do I hook up to water and sewer?
District personnel will assist you in locating the connection points to the District's water and sewer main lines. As a part of the connection application process, the District will provide you with a set of Instructions to the Applicant which outlines the requirements for making water/sewer connections, including the approved types of pipe, required depths, proper bedding and backfill materials, required inspections, etc. You also will be provided with a copy of our Erosion Control Guidelines (1.4meg). As we must protect the quality of the lakes which are our water source, the implementation of proper erosion control measures during and after construction is very important and strictly enforced.
What do I do if I have water or sewer problems?
Call the Water Filtration Plant Office at 530-426-7802. If after hours, you may reach the on-call operations & maintenance employee by calling this Plant Office number and then dialing the emergency number provided in the after-hours recorded message. If you are unable to reach the Plant Office during normal business hours, please call the District Administrative Office at 530-426-7800 for assistance.
What needs to happen when I sell my house in Serene Lakes?
The private water and sewer service lateral lines at your home must be tested; a water meter pit must be installed if one does not already exist; and if the stop-and-drain valve is the older type prone to failure, it must be replaced. This work is the responsibility of the seller. The testing and any necessary corrective work must be inspected and approved by District personnel. If sale of the property closes escrow prior to completion of the testing/corrective work, or if it sells in winter and the work must be put off until after the spring thaw, funds are escrowed based on the worst-case scenario of complete failure and replacement of the lines in order to have sufficient funds in reserve to cover such an event. For more information on these requirements, see Ordinance No. 47 and Ordinance No. 84 Guidelines.
I'm in Serene Lakes only part-time. Why do you have only "flat-rate billing?"
A: The Board has looked at this issue several times over the past years. We would need to have all houses metered for water consumption, and we would have to read the meters and bill accordingly. The fact is that just the ongoing costs for operation plus the capital costs (for past system upgrades such as the new water tank and water treatment system upgrade) far outweigh the incremental costs due to actual water use, such that the cost difference between higher and lower water use would be minimal.
Why are Rates Going Up
A: The Board works hard to minimize rate increases. Each year the Board sets the budget for the coming year, and then decides on whether a rate increase is needed. There are a number of factors that have significantly increased the District's costs over the past few years and have required rate increases in 2006 and 2007 but not in 2008. The principal factors are: Recent steep increases in the fees that we pay to the Donner Summit Public Utility District, which treats and disposes of our wastewater. Their costs have gone up because of State-mandated upgrades in the wastewater treatment system, which caused both capital costs and increased operating costs.
Our District's ongoing infrastructure upgrades involving all wastewater pump stations and construction of new water main lines and service lines and new wastewater lines primarily in the Ice Lakes I and II subdivisions (see a 2010 summary at this link). The upgrades of the water and sewer lines became necessary due to the age, the materials used, and occasionally poor workmanship of the original construction, which led to excessively high water losses in the distribution system and excessively high inflow and infiltration into the sewer system. Increasing operating costs of the District due to State-mandated measures, including more water quality testing, increased inspection costs and fees for stand-by generators, increased inspection costs and fees for the dam, etc.have also contributed to increased rates.
What Other Capital Projects are Planned for the near Future, and how will we Pay for them?
A: In 2008 the District started an ambitious three-year program of upgrading both the water distribution system and the wastewater collection system. The work was centered in the Ice Lakes I and II Subdivisions, in the eastern part of Serene Lakes, which were developed first and have the oldest infrastructure. The work included replacement of those parts of the systems that were most susceptible to failure due to both the materials used and the original construction. The upgrades to the wastewater collection system include replacement or relining sections of pipe that were found to be leaking. Leaks in the wastewater collection system lead to inflow and infiltration (I/I) into the system in spring and early summer when the groundwater table is high during snow melt. Any I/I added to the domestic wastewater must be pumped to DSPUD and treated and disposed there, which greatly increases costs to the District. Leaks in the water distribution system, again due to materials used and the original construction, waste water and may, in the worst case, lead to loss of pressure in the system. The District has a line of credit with Bank of the West, which it uses to pay for these capital projects. As we draw on the line of credit, we increase our cost to service the loan, which we must pass on as fee increases to the rate payers. All work was completed on time and most, under budget. project page link.
Currenlty the district, in conjunction with the DSPUD, is in the process of building a new sewer plant. You can read about its necessity in this article and you can read the facilities plan Both are PDF's. The facilities plan is 13 meg.
How do I pay my bill?
Mail payments to:
Sierra Lakes County Water District
P.O. Box 1039 Soda Springs, CA 95728
Office: 530-426-7800
Fax: 530-426-1120
Anna Nickerson email